I think resigning Ike is hard when you think about the type of money you have to pay Troy and Ben. I am really hoping we do sign Ike though. He is really becoming a good corner and I would hate to lose him. The eight figure signing bonus seems a bit much though.

You sign Corners who are shut down corners. They are the second hardest position to find. You sign Ike and you sign Troy. You let go recievers, running backs, O-lineman(unless its a great LT). You cannot afford to lose on a shut down corner. Our DB's right now with Mcfadden doing what he is doing and Townsend being as solid as he is, they are a priority above all. We have a linebacker factory so I do not worry about losing linebackers, Big Ben is our QB for the next 10 years so we dont have to worry about that, its real simple and easy. If Ike wants to be a part of winning rings and being an all pro, he might take less iniatially BUT, there is one thing that needs to be addressed. More so then any team in the league, the money the steelers give you, 90% of it gets paid to you. The steelers hardly ever do what Al Davis or Jerry Jones do where they'll give you a yr 50 mil contract and then cut you a year after.

Troy, Big Ben, and Ike MUST be steelers for the next decade. Everywhere else, we can plug in if we need too....

Ike Taylor won't allow a contract impasse to divert his eyes from the prize -- the prize being a recognized spot among the NFL's elite cover men.
Taylor took a large step in that direction last season, his first as a full-time starter.

"I want to be one of the guys that people talk about," Taylor says. "You know, 'Ike Taylor, he's come a long ways, so now we can put him down as a shut-down, lock-down corner.' I still got question marks out there, like, 'Can he do it?' I'm trying to answer all those question marks.' "

So are the Steelers, who, like a defensive back breaking on a ball, face a critical decision in negotiations with Taylor:

Should they go for broke or hang back and wait?

Taylor, 26, can become an unrestricted free agent after this season. He is currently on a one-year, $1.57 million deal he signed as a restricted free agent. By offering him an upgraded tender, the Steelers made it so another team would have had to offer a first-round draft pick as compensation for signing Taylor.

According to Taylor's agent, Scott Smith, the sides have been discussing a long-term deal that would keep Taylor in Pittsburgh through the prime years of his career.

Not surprisingly, the sticking point is money.

Taylor is believed to be seeking an eight-figure signing bonus, which is no surprise. Cornerbacks -- even ones who haven't played in any Pro Bowls -- often command big money.

Case in point: The Jacksonville Jaguars gave Brian Williams a $10 million signing bonus to lure him away from the Minnesota Vikings.

Last year, the Dallas Cowboys lavished Anthony Henry with a $10 million signing bonus, and Carolina gave rising star Ken Lucas a shockingly high $13 million signing bonus.

Now you know what kind of neighborhood Taylor is eyeing.

Smith declined comment when asked if Taylor is indeed seeking an eight-figure signing bonus, but the agent's response to another question was telling.

Does he believe Taylor already is one of the league's elite corners?

"Without question," Smith said. "Ike led the NFL in passes defended, with 25. In 20 games, he kept the opposing team's top wide receiver out of the end zone in 18, including all four playoff games. He did exactly what you'd expect from your left cornerback, which is to shut down the opposing team's top receiver.

"He's also arguably the toughest (cornerback) in the entire league against the run. He had 95 tackles, most for a Steelers corner in 13 years -- since Rod Woodson in '93."

Good points all. Taylor was so good he prompted the Steelers to alter their policy and allow him to follow certain receivers -- Chad Johnson, Marvin Harrison, etc. -- all over the field. He had two postseason interceptions.

On the other hand, he had only one regular-season interception and dropped about 10 others. He was helped by the superior talent around him, and Seattle picked on him early in the Super Bowl, though Taylor responded with a critical late-game pick.

So, do you show him the money, betting he'll continue his meteoric rise from fourth-round reach out of Louisiana-Lafayette? Or, do you make him prove himself again and risk the significant blow of losing him on the open market?

To his credit, Taylor rejected the option of a Hines Ward-style holdout. He arrived at camp in prime condition, focused only on football. He'd begun his workouts four days after the Super Bowl.

"No question, I want to stay here, but you know how that is," he said. "I'm in training camp right now, so I can't worry about anything. I let my agents and the office take care of that. I'm just glad to be playing football right now."

Another consideration for the Steelers is that in their hierarchical salary structure, signing Taylor will set the bar for other defensive players. Troy Polamalu, for example, has a contract that expires after next season, and he's already an All-Pro. Whatever the Steelers give Taylor, they'll need to give Polamalu more.

In the meantime, the Steelers have another promising young cornerback in Bryant McFadden and are hoping the light goes on for third-year pro Ricardo Colclough the way it went on for Taylor last season.

It'd be a shame to lose a player the Steelers wisely drafted and expertly developed, but unless Taylor lowers his demands -- or the sides get real creative -- that appears to be the direction in which this train is headed.

Great post.. I think in the long run we are gonna lock up Ike taylor, he's becoming a real good solid CB which now a days are hard 2 come by... Also glad 2 hear that he wants 2 work harder at his position 2 b recognized as 1 of the best CB's in the NFL....

__________________"If I could start my life all over again, I would be a professional football player, and you damn well better believe I would be a Pittsburgh Steeler." - Jack lambert